CBS Canceled One of Its Biggest Sitcoms Last Week

CBS has canceled one of its biggest sitcoms, announcing on Nov. 29 that Bob Hearts Abishola will come to an end with its upcoming fifth season. The CBS comedy’s finale is scheduled to air Monday, May 13, three months after the previously-announced Season 5 premiere, which is slated for Monday, Feb. 12. Bob Hearts Abishola stars Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku and premiered as the number one new comedy of the 2019-20 television season in the ratings.

The series follows Bob (Gardell), a middle-aged compression sock businessman from Detroit, who unexpectedly falls for his cardiac nurse Abishola (Olowofoyeku), a Nigerian immigrant, while recovering from a heart attack. Set on winning her over and undaunted by her lack of interest and vast differences in background, Bob eventually earns Abishola’s heart, and the two eventually marry in the comedic examination of life as an immigrant in the U.S.

“We are so proud to call Bob Hearts Abishola a CBS comedy as it helped establish a new generation of programming at the Network,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, in a statement. “This series expertly showcased a family love story and workplace comedy about the immigrant experience with heartfelt humor and emotion while also authentically portraying Nigerian culture. It’s a testament to the incomparable Chuck Lorre, the amazing creative team led by Al Higgins, Gina Yashere and Matt Ross, and the talents of Billy Gardell, Folake Olowofoyeku and the entire cast for making this show and its characters come to life and resonate with viewers. We plan to celebrate it this spring and give fans the most amazing episodes to remember it by.”

“Bob Hearts Abishola is about an unlikely love story, but also the premise that immigrants make America great,” added executive producers Yashere, Ross and Lorre. “We’ve loved bringing these stories to life and are excited for fans to see the final chapter of these two families, and the incredible work of this talented cast and crew.”

In April, Deadline reported that there was an expectation that Bob Hearts Abishola would end with a 13-episode fifth season, as only Gardell and Olowofoyeku had their Season 5 series-regular options exercised to remain on the show full-time. The rest of the cast members were offered to continue as recurring characters with a five-episode guarantee. Bob Hearts Abishola is the third CBS scripted show to end this season, joining Young Sheldon and Blue Bloods.